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Can I get forgiveness of my sins before I am baptized?
Question: I have accepted Jesus as my Savior but there is this little detail: I am not baptized. My family is not Catholic, so I wasn’t baptized, but I truly believe in God and have been praying a lot lately for His forgivenesses. Is it okay if I’m not baptized? Will I still be forgiven?…
Read MoreShould I wait until my boyfriend becomes a better Christian?
Question: My boyfriend and I have been dating for four years. He waited six months before we had sex. It was my decision, and I regret it to this day. I wish I knew back then what I know now. I’m afraid if I stop having sex with my boyfriend, he’ll leave me, and I’ve…
Read MoreI didn’t keep all of my sacrifices. Will God still help me?
Question: Hello, A few months ago I started going through a hard time in my life, I had a problem that I, myself, couldn’t solve, so I put it in God’s hands. As I was really desperate and willing to do anything for it, I offered a few sacrifices (yes, more than one) and I…
Read MoreSince we are under grace, can’t we be sexually active and live pleasing to the Lord?
Question: I am a Pentecostal Christian and we live by grace, not under the law. Since Jesus died on the cross we have a new covenant. So my question is: I’m in a committed relationship with my girlfriend. Sex is obviously one of the keys to a relationship. I know the message of Paul about…
Read MoreMy boyfriend has difficulty with my past. Should we get counseling?
Question: I am 34 years old. I grew up in a Christian home and have always tried to follow the right path. I have failed God on many occasions and feel as if I have been forgiven for those wrongs. I was married right after high school and had a child a year later. After…
Read MoreWhy is the Temple called a house of prayer?
Question: Can you tell me what the phrase “house of prayer” means from Matthew 21:13? Is this word used as a synecdoche or is it meant to mean literal “prayer?” If prayer was not the only thing they did at the temple, could this word have been used to mean a house of ‘worship?’ Answer:…
Read MoreWhat do you consider to be worry?
Question: What do you consider to be worry? I mean, I worry about losing interest in God and not having that same feeling I get when I desire to read a story in the Bible or I just get scared I’m doing something wrong because sometimes I don’t feel close to Him and my feelings…
Read MoreI appreciate the open and unrestricted manner in which you make your resources available
Question: Dear friends in the family of God, I wanted to take the time to thank you for your outstanding website and the quality resources it provides. I’ve read some excellent, scriptural-centered material on the site, and the collection of graphics made available is also quite nice. Your embracing of Creative Commons licensing is a…
Read MoreI moved out after my wife committed adultery a second time, but I don’t know what to do next
Question: Dear Sir, Here is my problem: I have been married for almost twenty years and dated for five years prior to getting married. We were both virgins when we got married, but we did do things that were not right, such as petting and mutual masturbation at times. I have separated from my wife…
Read MoreShould I work things out with my drug-addicted husband?
Question: My husband and I have been married for about five years. We only dated for a year before we got married. Throughout those five years, I’ve been the sole provider of the family. Now I understand that without some education he can’t get the job he wants, but he will work somewhere for a…
Read MoreShould Abimelech be counted as a judge of Israel?
Question: I am teaching the Judges to the children. My question was Abimelech really a judge? I have read both sides, and am interested to hear what your evaluation is. Thank you for your input, Jeff. Answer: “After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and…
Read MoreI keep finding sins in my life. Do I need to get baptized again?
Question: Brother Hamilton, This has been bothering me for a while, so I am going to explain my situation. I was baptized as an infant and grew up knowing all about Jesus and what is expected of a Christian. However, as a young adult, after studying the Bible, I realized my baptism was done wrong.…
Read MoreDid Jesus get back his equality with God?
Question: Christ never got back His equality (Philippians 2:6) when He returned to heaven and was seated at the right hand of God. True? Answer: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but…
Read MoreShould I wait until after I get married to be baptized?
Question: Hi, I am in the process of getting baptized and being confirmed as a Catholic. At the same time, I am engaged and my fiance and I live together. We will be getting married next year. Should I wait to be baptized after we are married? Answer: To be clear upfront, I’m not a…
Read MoreWhy aren’t Samuel’s sons counted among the judges?
Question: Concerning your post recently about whether Abimelech was a judge or not: I remember a passage concerning the people wanting a king because of the evil of Samuel’s sons, whom he appointed to be judges over the people in I Samuel 8:1-5. I’m not sure if this would help your answer, but I remembered them…
Read MoreIs it wrong to indulge in food and drink at worship?
Question: Is it wrong for members of the church to indulge in food and drink while worship is happening? We have this problem, and I need an answer with Scripture, please. Thank you. Answer: I’ve noticed that people like to make rules instead of citing the Scriptures. It is that tendency that caused discussions between…
Read MoreWhat do you think about my moving to another country with my boyfriend?
Question: My boyfriend is thinking about moving abroad a few years from now. He wants me to come with him. I would have to find a job and start a new life because I don’t know anybody there. I would also want to live in separate apartments until we get married. He wants us to…
Read MoreI couldn’t make my pledge this month and the pastor wants God to afflict me. What do I do?
Question: I am a young lady of 26 years. I attend a church and during a fundraising, the pastor asked me to pay 2000 in our currency. I got 500 to pay him and promised to pay the rest later. He mentioned we should not cross the end of the month without paying our balance.…
Read MoreElders and Church Decline
by Matthew W. Bassford Recently, there’s been a lot of chatter on my Facebook feed about a survey of churches of Christ conducted by an organization called 21st Century Christian. According to this survey, attendance in such churches has declined by about 10 percent since 1990. I have no idea how valid their data…
Read MoreI prefer other women. Does that mean I’m not saved?
Question: I’m a Christian and a God-fearing woman. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and believe in His death and resurrection for the remission of our sins. My problem is that I prefer women. I know this is wrong. I have also fallen in love with another woman. I’ve never been intimate with her.…
Read MoreTo get money, I lied to a man that I’m pregnant with his child
Question: I searched about God and found this site. I am depressed and wondering what I should do. I just need prayers. I just finished college and because I haven’t gotten a job, I met this man who is 60 years old. He started providing for me. He is married to two wives, and he…
Read MoreI have no friends. I don’t trust anyone
Question: Hi, I found this website by accident. I read some stories and would like to have some guidance and advice. I’m the youngest of four siblings. My parents both work. Both make enough that we can manage. When I was five, my next oldest sister passed away when there was a big earthquake in…
Read MoreShould I marry the father of my children?
Question: Hello, I am the mother of three children. Their father left us to go and look for green pastures (I mean daily bread) in another country. He promised to come back and we would marry since we lived in sin for a long time. Due to poverty, we couldn’t afford the marriage ceremony and…
Read MoreI love this web site
Question: I love this web site. Keep up the wonderful work. We will be using your studies and sermons for studies in our home and in teaching others. Thank you for your work in the Lord’s church. Answer: Thank you for the encouragement.
Read MoreDid Isaiah’s prophecy that Damascus would cease being a city fail?
Question: I am having a conversation with an atheist online and so far I have done well handling the so-called failed prophecies and contradictions he claims. He seems rather shocked and open to studying. I do need a little help with this one because I have never heard of it nor come across anyone disputing…
Read MoreI’ve made mistakes in the past. How do I know if this is the man I should date?
Question: I’m looking for guidance, please. This past year I found my faith after six long years as an atheist. I’ve made a lot of changes in myself through the power of God since then. I met a man during the summer who turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he used the…
Read MoreWould you baptize someone you think is living in sin?
Question: Hey Brother, Would you baptize an individual who you think is still living in sin or is setting a bad example? For instance, if the individual is living with a girlfriend but claims that they do not have sex and sleep in different rooms. Answer: “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to…
Read MoreShould Christians support a man teaching on the Internet?
Question: We have a brother who is out of work because of a permanent injury and he is asking for monthly contributions to support a website he has created to spread the gospel. He feels that because he is committing his time fully to spreading the gospel he can make a living at it. However,…
Read MoreFrom what I could see, you present yourselves very well biblically
Question: I just discovered your website while researching questions about whether Paul the Apostle had either been a member of the Sanhedrin or married. I just wanted to say, from what I could see so far, I really like the way you present yourselves very well biblically. Too bad you are so far away, but…
Read MoreWill parents be held accountable for the video games their children play?
Question: Will parents be held accountable for the video games their children play? What if one is a step-parent? Answer: Whether a child genetically comes from you or not, the fact that you have taken on the role of a parent means you are responsible for the raising of the child into an adult. That…
Read MoreHow would anyone know if Timothy was circumcised or not?
Question: I saw the recent reader’s question – “Why did Paul have Timothy circumcised after the council at Jerusalem?” And your answer “In regards to why Timothy was circumcised after the Jerusalem council, it is simply because Paul met Timothy after that council. Timothy wanted to join Paul, but because they were working among the…
Read MoreIs the Bible for or against the use of holy water or salt?
Question: Hi, Holy water and salt have become a common religious tool, believed to be very powerful and frequently used in my country. Is the Bible for or against this practice? Answer: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not…
Read MoreI keep having sex with my boyfriend. Will God keep forgiving me?
Question: Hello, I don’t even know where to start. (Deep breath) Well, I have been going to church for five years. I met this guy who isn’t Christian, and we have been together two years. We have been having sex all this time. Every time I feel worse. I ask God to forgive me all…
Read MoreI’ve tried to quit drugs, but I keep going back
Question: Well, to start out with I have been hooked on a certain drug since my youth. I’ve tried quitting many times. Sometimes I will go a while without, and sometimes not that long. But it seems no matter how long I go without, I feel miserable and go through bad withdrawal (more psychological than…
Read MoreHow do you pick a good boyfriend?
Question: God bless you, I am a born-again Christian lady who has been actively involved in the work of God. I’m 21 years of age. I fell in love with a guy who claimed to be a Christian. Actually, the first day we met he was recovering from a hangover. I thought I could help…
Read MoreMaybe another man will make me happier
Question: I’m a 20 year old girl who’s engaged to a man more than 15 years older than me. He is my first boyfriend, and I’m physically and emotionally intimate with him. But I’m afraid of marriage because I have only dated him and no one else. He is a great man who is a…
Read MoreCan contributions be done through pledges?
Question: Is pledging wrong, as a way of giving? That is, asking members how much they are willing to put forward for a certain project. They specify an amount, which is then collected at the right time. We must give on the first day of the week, that is set, but is that the only…
Read MoreSince I don’t get along with a family member, can I forgive him, move away, and never talk to him again?
Question: Say if I did not get along with a family member. If I forgive him, can I separate myself from him, like move away from him, and never speak to him again? Answer: Can you move? Of course! Once you are an adult you can live wherever you like. Now, that means you are taking…
Read MoreDoes a change in attitude come first before a person can believe?
Question: Is it necessary to repent, or turn from sin and toward God (whether you have performed one single action or not, I’m simply talking about a heart attitude change) to be able to see or believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin? Is that who has ‘ears to hear’ the gospel? The one living…
Read MoreI’m not certain I’m worthy of the girl I want to marry
Question: Hi, I am a Hindu by religion. I am 21 years old and a college student. However, I believe in the Lord Jesus. I have been praying to him every day for the last seven or eight years. My family doesn’t know about my faith in him. My problem is that I have committed…
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